Wondering whether you’ve got a future Grand Tour contender on your hands? Then it might be time to move on to some serious kit – the road to Tour de France glory starts here and now with the new range from Frog Bikes.

Spring is a season full of promise and anticipation for warmer weather, and the end of short winter days of ice and wind.
So here’s our quick guide to what to keep handy during the season of spring showers.

The body needs fuel like any other machine and if you’re to get the optimum performance out of it, you have to treat it right. You wouldn’t put petrol in a diesel car, and it should be the same mindset if you want to get the best out of your body.

Professional cycling’s fabled cobbled classics come pretty thick and fast between the end of February and the first weekend of April.
Here are our favourites for some of the biggest races of the season.

Great Britain’s 13-strong squad who are heading out to Valkenberg, Netherlands, for this weekend’s Cyclocross World Championships is headlined by some of the most promising young cyclists the country has ever produced.

With a total number of race days usually hovering around 75 and very rarely exceeding 100, and even then, races only lasting for a handful of hours, it’s fair to say that pro cyclists spend the vast majority of their time not racing bikes.

In 2017 the Specialized Roubaix was fully redesigned to an incredible reception from riders and journalists alike. The Roubaix has undergone further refinement for 2018 and here's what you need to know

The chill of change is in the air. We are without doubt transitioning between seasons as we get deeper into October, with an ever-dwindling chance of that longed-for Indian summer. It’s a time many cyclists dislike intensely as we tick off the signs of impending winter as they slide by. Here are six changes that you may notice and what to do about it.

It may be the end of summer and therefore cause for despair for many cyclists, but worry not, there is reason to be joyful. Autumn and winter can provide us with spectacularly adventurous riding when we’re not drooling over all the new kit that bike brands are bringing out.

The days are getting shorter and the weather’s getting colder. Summer may be over, but don’t despair. If you’re equipped with the right kit, you can continue to enjoy riding your bike throughout the winter.

The Cyclocross season is in full swing and we have some of the best CX bikes from both Trek and Specialized. Cyclocross (CX) is a discipline which has surged in popularity in recent years. Its spiritual home can be found in Belgium and the Netherlands, where its favourite sons pass around the rainbow stripes each year.

Pedal choice can make such a difference to both your comfort and performance on the bike, so it’s important to make a considered choice. Some new bikes will come with a specific pedal attached, but these days there are many different options, each with their own strengths.

The pros are already riding 2018 models on the race circuit and you can get your hands on them too. There’s just one round of the MTB World Cup left in the 2017 season which will take place on the last weekend of August. You can expect to see many of the best new season mountain bikes on show in Val di Sole, Italy. Take a look at just a few of our star bikes below.

The 2017 Tour de France was certainly a mixed bag. It had everything from a marauding parasol which nearly obliterated the peloton, to Chris Froome making an unintended caravan picnic break on stage 12 with Fabio Aru. Whittling it down to the five best moments was certainly hard, but these are the ones that will stand the test of time.

Nail-biting racing is not the only thing to grab our attention at the Tour de France, which concludes in Paris this weekend. July is the time of year when sponsors and brands like to promote new equipment, and none more so than bike manufacturers.

The 2018 model of the flagship Specialized Tarmac was first seen at the Criterium du Dauphiné beneath a select few riders, and then to everyone’s surprise, the women of Boels-Dolmans took the start on their own fleet of Tarmac bikes, as opposed to the women’s-specific Amira.

​Sometimes slowing down efficiently is the key to a faster ride. It is amazing how much time can be lost through bad braking and poor cornering. An absolute game changer in the road cycling world is disc brakes and they have definitely seen a breakthrough on this year’s Tour de France.

The Tour de France begins its lap of the country this weekend, taking an early detour through Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg, and this year there are plenty of reasons to get excited. Several things are a given like Froome’s flapping elbows, Movistar’s cold, business-like precision, or Sagan’s unerring desire to wear green, but here are five things to look out for beyond the obvious:

The mountain bikers among you will most likely be familiar with the Atherton name, and it has probably not escaped the notice of British roadies either. Reigning downhill (DH) world champion Rachel Atherton and her two older brothers have ruled the British mountain biking scene for several years, particularly in the DH discipline.

There is a certain peace to be found on the morning of, or the night before, tackling a string of mountain passes by bike. You’ve done all your training, your bike is ready and raring to go and you’ve gobbled your last meal. There’s nothing more you can do but swing your leg over the top tube after breakfast and head for the clouds.

There are two important things to consider: first, you need to make sure that you yourself are ready with the right clothes and nutrition, and second, you must ensure your bike is set up with all the equipment necessary to conquer 100 miles of tarmac.

We’ve got a great sale on Mavic wheels at The Bike Factory that you’re not going to want to miss out on. It is commonly said in the cycling world that the best upgrade for your bike is the wheels. Read on for some great reasons why Mavic should be your first choice.

​Cycling is a sport for all the ages. Just roll up to your local club run and there’s likely to be a healthy mix of skinny-as-a-rake eighteen-year-olds, MAMILs with unnecessarily expensive equipment and long-in-the-tooth riders wrapped in wool and riding Italian steel beauties.

You will not be alone if you found yourself inspired by the cyclocross World Championships that took place last weekend in Bieles, Luxembourg. The competition looked like it might play out in ice and snow as the weekend began, but it had thawed to sticky mud by the time the elite women got out on course.

There is a permanent film of water and grit on the roads, it’s is cold and windy, and the sun rarely shows up for work. This can mean only one thing: the country is in the firm grip of winter. Although any motivational slump might very well have been overcome now, particularly after the debauchery of Christmas indulgence and the promise of a New Year.

New Year, new you. All around the world, people are planning how they’re going to become a better person in 2017. If you’re a cyclist looking for a way to make the most of the new year, we’ve got a list of resolutions and targets that will ought to fit the bill.

We're very please to announce that we've been nominated and made it to the finals of the Bike Biz, Independent Bike Dealer 2016. We're totally over the moon that so many of our customers past and present have voted for us.

Whether you’re shopping for someone who already loves bikes or you’re a keen cyclist yourself hoping to share you passion with those you love, we think there are plenty of great ways to give the gift of cycling this Christmas. From whole bikes, right down to that reliable Christmas stalwart, a pair of socks, there’s a gift idea to suit every rider – and every budget – in our comprehensive gift guide.

Christmas can be one of two things for a cyclist, either laden with bags full of well-intentioned gifts from friends and family (which you already have or do not need), or packed with joyful kit and components that you bought yourself. If there is a cyclist in your life, we’ve put together a list of things which they very possibly already have, but which a cyclist can never really have enough of. We’ve ordered them on price, from you stocking fillers to your larger, more practical items.

In a year which has seen Chris Froome take his third Tour scalp in sometimes comedic style, the coming of age of the hopelessly lovable Orica BikeExchange squad, the reinvigoration of the Manx Missile (Mark Cavendish) and the shock-and-awe domination of Peter Sagan, we have also witnessed the continuing corrosion of credibility, the withdrawal of teams under financial pressure, and the retirement of some of our favourite riders.

In the 12 years since its creation the Roubaix has had the odd nip and tuck here and there, as part of Specialized’s commitment to constant refinement and improvement, but there has certainly never been an update as drastic as this one before.

Everyone loves a new piece of kit or training aid that improves the efficiency and fun of riding – so what could be better than an electric bike? Most of our favourite brands are now turning their hands to (legal) motorisation and it is helping get more people riding.

Every year the Tour of Britain, formerly known as the good old ‘Milk Race’, seems to grow and grow, with an ever expanding list of amazing, world-class riders turning up to compete over seven days around the British Isles. It’s no surprise, for those of us in the know, that Cheshire has played host to the race a few times – what with the spectacular scenery and challenging riding there is on offer here.

It’s fair to say that Team Sky have been totally dominant in this year’s Tour de France as far as the general classification is concerned. Chris Froome, in pursuit of a third yellow jersey, has shown that there is pretty much no doubt that he’s the strongest bike rider in the world right now.

The conception that road cycling is an expensive hobby is a popular one, but we also think it’s kinda undeserved. Like any activity, you can sink as little or as much cash as you want into it – and still have an amazing time. In that spirit we decided to pick out a selection of our favourite bikes currently available from the Bike Factory for under £750.

The lactate threshold highlights the upper limit of exclusive aerobic energy production that allows an athlete or cyclist to exercise for periods in excess of 3 hours (ideal for you readers who like to ride sportives).

If you’re going to train with a turbo, you still need to focus your sessions to get the most out of them - that means you can’t just stick the telly on and spin mindlessly for an hour and a half and expect to see results.

The rush of mountain biking is hard to deny, and even harder to resist once you’ve got the bug. But how do you know which trails are right for your ability level? We’ve put together a list of our favourite beginner trails scattered around the UK.

The pro racing calendar has finally begun and we’re closing down the gap before sportive season commences. Whether you are new to cycling or familiar to lining up at the start of a century ride, the right preparation is vital. Once you have chosen which sportive(s) you plan to do, the next step is to make sure you are well prepared.

We hear a lot about enduro, but what exactly is it? It’s a term which people use to describe their riding style a lot, but have they ever been near an enduro race? In short Enduro is a race which has the emphasis on racing downhill, gravity assisted, but with short sections of uphill to separate the men from the boys, or those with good cardio, from those with none.

The pros are pampered, they’ve got a nice tour bus, mechanics to look after any squeaks or worn components, and at the end of a hard ride they’ve got a chef who’s nutritionally qualified to come up with some tasty food to make sure they perform well. The truth is that they deserve to be pampered, they need to be able to concentrate on one thing, and one thing only: riding hard. We’re a lot less fortunate...

The pros are pampered, they’ve got a nice tour bus, mechanics to look after any squeaks or worn components, and at the end of a hard ride they’ve got a chef who’s nutritionally qualified to come up with some tasty food to make sure they perform well. The truth is that they deserve to be pampered, they need to be able to concentrate on one thing, and one thing only: riding hard. We’re a lot less fortunate...

As a trail rider I enjoy 140mm of suspension, sometimes on a hardtail, sometimes with full-sus, sometimes I even go as a big as 150mm with a slack head angle on the 650b Specialized Stumpjumper FSR. Downhill was something I didn’t have too much experience with, maybe I wasn’t cool enough, I mean sometimes I even don lycra, and smash out 100 milers on my road bike.

Both Trek and Specialized have jumped onboard with the plus size wheel/tyre standards for mountain bikes. The new standards use the now familiar circumferences of 29 inches and 27.5 inches, but expand beyond the maximum 2.5 inch width of the tyres.